IBM To Acquire Customer Analytics Services Firm

Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM announced today that it has agreed to acquire RedPill Solutions a Singapore-based specialist customer management services firm founded in 2000 by a group of marketing and consulting professionals. Financial details were not disclosed.

RedPill provides advanced customer analytics services to businesses in several industries, including financial services, and has expertise in areas such as churn management, segment propositions, segmentation, risk management and market/opportunity assessment, according to a press release.

IBM says it intends to acquire RedPill to bolster its analytic services. It expects that RedPill's data models and expertise, developed through the successful execution of multiple analytics projects, will enhance IBM's current work to improve the speed and quality of clients' business decisions, according to the press release. In addition, the company says that the transaction further enhances IBM's consumer marketing and risk management capabilities.

"Our growth roadmap highlights analytics as a core element of Managed Business Process Services," Randy Walker, general manager, IBM MBPS, growth markets, said in the release. "RedPill has strong capabilities in research and analytical services in key growth markets that will enhance IBM's analytics services offerings."

Pavan Vaish, chief executive officer for IBM Daksh, adds that analytics capabilities have become a necessity when competing for business process outsourcing (BPO) deals. "With this acquisition IBM is building an advanced analytics capability that will provide a competitive edge and differentiation - particularly in the areas of financial services and telecommunications."